'1st Choice': Priyank Kharge Hails Bengaluru’s 'Unmatched Talent' As Startup Moves From Mumbai

Last Updated:October 16, 2025, 20:08 IST

The announcement, made via a post on X, comes amid growing criticism of Bengaluru’s infrastructure, traffic congestion and civic services

Karnataka IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge (Credits: ANI)

Karnataka’s IT Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday announced that Snabbit, a startup, has shifted its base from Mumbai to Bengaluru in a bid to leverage the city’s deep tech talent.

The announcement, made via a post on social media platform X, comes amid growing criticism of Bengaluru’s infrastructure, traffic congestion and civic services. Yet, Kharge was upbeat, stating that the city continues to hold “unmatched tech talent".

“Snabbit, a quick-services startup, has moved its base from Mumbai to Bengaluru to tap into the city’s unmatched tech talent," Kharge wrote.

Highlighting Bengaluru as home to over 1.5 million tech professionals and the largest concentration of tech talent in the Asia-Pacific region, he said, “Bengaluru continues to be the first choice for innovators and founders."

The Congress leader welcomed the startup’s decision as a vote of confidence in Karnataka’s tech ecosystem.

“As a government, we are committed to building the infrastructure, policy and frameworks needed to complement and sustain this leadership, making Karnataka the natural home for new-age innovators," he wrote.

Just days earlier, Andhra Pradesh made headlines after securing a $15 billion deal with Google to build an AI and data hub in Visakhapatnam.

The state’s IT minister Nara Lokesh taunted Karnataka over the announcement, posting on X: “They say Andhra food is spicy. Seems some of our investments are too. Some neighbours are already feeling the burn!" He also used hashtags like #AndhraRising and #YoungestStateHighestInvestment.

Opposition parties in Karnataka also seized on Google’s decision, arguing that Bengaluru — long hailed as India’s Silicon City — was overlooked due to the Congress government’s failure to cultivate a business‑friendly environment.

Earlier in the week, Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar‑Shaw added to the pressure by sharing negative feedback from a visiting international executive. The executive reportedly questioned the poor condition of the city’s roads and the prevalence of garbage.

Shaw had posted: “Why are the roads so bad, and why is there so much garbage around? Doesn’t the Govt want to support investment?" She had tagged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar and Kharge in her post, which drew widespread attention online.

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News bengaluru-news '1st Choice': Priyank Kharge Hails Bengaluru’s 'Unmatched Talent' As Startup Moves From Mumbai

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